New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-09
DISCUSSING SCIENTIFIC TOPICS
A TuREE-DAYs SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY
OF SCIENCES BEGUN

A TuREE-DAYs' SESSION OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY
OF SCIENCES BEGUN.
Tho National Academy OF sciences began a three
days session at Columbia College yesterday. The
meeting was called ordor after IL O'Clock by
DR. WalcOtt Gibbs foreign secretary OF tho Academy,
who PRESIDED the absence oi the president Professor
O. C. Marsh.
Tho members who present were Professor
Cleveland Able Professor Asaph Hall and Def y Gil
Washington General Henry L. Abbot, President Bar
nard. Professor C. 0. Chandler, Professor J. 5. New
berry Professor o. " Rood and Professor W. r. rrow-
bridge. NewYork: Professor George f. Barker Phiia-
dephis: Professor ". X. Brooks, Johns Hopkins nj
ver,lty, Baltimore; Professor George IL Cook New
brunswick, ~ J. DR. Walc0tt Gibbs and Professor H.
C. Pickering Cambridge: Professor 7. sterry Hunt
Montreal; Professor Alfred NJ Mayer. IIoboken: Pro
fcssor Thomas C. Mcndcnhall. Tcrrc Eautc: Professor
C. H. T. Peters, Clinton. y. Y DIR. Raphael Pumpelly
Newport and Professor William y Rogers, Nacrvillc,
Me
Tho first paper presented was by Professor Mcnden'
hail. on selsmoScopes and chronological lnyestlga
tonsr IIo showed that seismOlogy, the study Of
earthquakes. was a comparatively new science Tho
modern scsmologist studies Earthquake rather than
earthquakes A notable advance has been made during
the years. due largely TO tho efforts OF the
chronological Society OF japan. Tho professor thought
tina, the ntcd States had many advantages for the
study Of earthquakes In spite of tho infrequenoy OF
their lie described instruments for noting
and measuring the extent Of earthquakes. and recon
mended the establishment of stations for observation
Professor Cope spoke " The Primary Specialize
tons OF the True Fishes
President Barnard read an abstract OF long paper
by Professor Henry Mitchell The Circulation of the
Sea through New-YorI IIarbor" aiming 10 show the
reason for the superiority Of the harbor Of NewYork
over all other sandbrred lnets and Of IT, comparative
freedom from ice. The points made were briefly aS
follows There must he resultant movement through
the harbnr In direction. While tho chh and HOOD
I'm tho East River appears 10 moye 10 ami fro IN mo
notonons repetition. there must hc a net gain In ono
direction and permanent transfer Of water from tho
Sound through tho habOr and ont over the SANDY Hook
bar, sweeping away the coast sands. Tho two derVa-
tlons Of The tide rise and fall from the same
mean ocean level and meeting I'm a limited channel
tend TO disturb this level. Tho Fast River has been
gagged from side To Side and from top 10 bottom every
fifteen minutes for many days. and at many different
loints slmult aneOuSy. BY actual measurements the
amount OF water passing westward of Nineteenth 81.
during the next six hours by fiS.00O.OoO cubic feet.
A. most inlcts there Is stronger current ono way
than the other Ia the. VAN cts' i, but often lap.
p"rS that tho g'~usr strength - given by outflow OF
iitcr waters, which tcing Specifically lighter than the
So, exec, ts - .ur n the tar bIi spread over
tho irfl-c a Now York II II essentially sea
water that IS At work pushing back the coast sand that
wOud otherwise complete the Gordon from Sandy Hook
TO COncy ISland'
Professor Cope presented a second discussion on
Tho Mechanical Structures of the Hard Parts of the
Mammalia." and Professor ". X HrOokS described A
New Method of Reproduction In M"uSa"
In the evening option was given To the members
Of tho Academy by Or c. f. Chandler at his homo, No.
81 East Fifty fourhst.
There will he a scientific session at noon day and
n business meeting In the afternoon. rom Till
o'clock there will DO Il reception by President and
Mrs. Barnard